Images of Extended School

School dinners

School dinners were very popular in the 1960s and cost something like one shilling per day, the money being collected on Monday mornings by form teachers. There were three sittings each day based on a system of weekly rotation and the whole of the dining-room was used, together with the main entrance area outside the headmaster’s office and even up the corridor towards the gymnasium. Most pupils dined and an efficient system of seating, serving and eating was devised and implemented. Each pupil was allocated a permanent place, there being eight to a table. At the head of the table were three monitors who performed the task of collecting the food on a tray, cutting it up and serving it – often to younger pupils. A system of vertical integration existed in the sense that senior pupils mixed with junior ones and were able to influence their social training and development in terms of table manners and etiquette. It also enabled youngsters to have a daily ‘link’, as it were, with senior pupils who they could look up to and perhaps regard as role models. Some teaching staff also dined with pupils and, although fewer in number than the monitors, were also able to exert a controlling influence and set a good example and engage pupils in conversation. Mr Rocca frequently dined with the boys, usually occupying a place left vacant by an absentee.

Many teachers did “dinner duty”, an obligatory activity for many years but one that was essential for the smooth running of the operation. The duty team leader would quickly gain order and control and, after saying a collective “Grace Before Meals”, would signal proceedings to begin. It was noisy but orderly. Absentees’ places were filled with reserves directed by staff. The food was of excellent quality, hot, varied and fairly served. A pudding followed the main meal. In addition to the tasks mentioned, all the boys had a job to do – such as collecting and returning used plates and food containers, wiping clean the table, fetching and laying out cutlery, water jugs and glasses on the table for the next sitting and so on. The re-set table would be inspected by a member of staff after which the boys were given permission to dismiss.  For many boys a speedy process would result in an early return to the schoolyard for the important business of playing football, often games between ‘United’ and ‘City’. Because of the exceptionally large numbers enjoying school dinners – “about 95%” according to the HMI report of 1961 – and the inadequate dining space, there was a need for three sittings, which made the lunchtime session quite lengthy. Not only did this allow for long games of football and other activities, but it also contributed to the school day finishing at 4.10pm. In addition, problems of accommodation and supervision arose on days when lunchtimes were affected by inclement weather and pupils were confined indoors.

A word of appreciation should be given to Mrs Dawson, Cook Supervisor, and her dedicated and highly efficient kitchen staff for their tremendous contribution to the school’s life throughout this period.

School Meals Agreement

The 1968 School Meals Agreement ended the obligation on teachers to supervise children at lunchtimes. Many staff at St Gregory’s, however, voluntarily continued to perform dinner duties, perhaps supervising one sitting each day every three or four weeks – depending on which “duty team” was in operation that week. In return, teachers were deemed to be entitled to a “free” school meal. Some teachers did the dinner duty and accepted the lunch; others did the duty but ate their own food. Those who took a school meal generally sat with the pupils and, apart from keeping an eye on things, engaged in informal and friendly conversation with their charges – all part of the pupils’ social training. Other teachers, it must be said, also gave up their time at lunchtimes in a variety of ways, such as supervising clubs, societies, the library, rehearsals, sports training and so on.

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